Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

The quest for eights in a Nissan GT-R

Eight seconds can seem either like an instant or an eternity. For SP Engineering, however, eight seconds is the threshold it aims to cross in its highly modified Nissan GT-R shop car for the standing quarter-mile. “This car will run eights,” said Will Wong, wholesale manager at SP Engineering.

Chevrolet touts Corvette 427 convertible with race driver Tommy Milner

The 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 convertible doesn't need any hype--the 505-hp V8, a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed in excess of 190 mph make a strong statement. Nonetheless, Chevrolet has enlisted the help of Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner in a trio of 90-second videos to tout the 427 convertible. In our favorite, Milner talks about the car's aerodynamics, including the optional carbon-fiber splitter, that help keep the car glued to the ground for better control.

Driven: BMW i8

When BMW unveiled the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, we wrote: "for our money, it's the first time a major carmaker has really attempted to communicate ‘green' technology in an aesthetic sense." Fast-forward five years and we've swapped the show halls of the IAA for a beauty spot on the north-west coast of Scotland. And, while the car's name has changed to i8, our sentiment towards this genre- and era-defining car remains. Admittedly the production car's design execution hasn't received the universal praise of its concept forebears, but, on a remote outpost of the British Isles, a Protonic Blue i8 couldn't look more exotic.